miserable! Diarrhea caused by eating bread turns out to be gluten allergy

Eating bread and noodles causes diarrhea and itchy skin. Why is this happening? Allergists remind us that if people who like to eat wheat products such as bread and noodles, or who often eat barley, oats and other wheat products, experience diarrhea and cannot find the cause, they may need to pay attention to the possibility that it is caused by gluten allergy.

People who are allergic to gluten must avoid eating wheat products, as barley, oats, and rye can also make the disease worse.

Clinically, it is found that many patients have long-term diarrhea for no apparent reason, or have iron deficiency anemia even though they have no internal bleeding, and their skin may itch and form blisters, and their hands and feet may have numbness for no apparent reason. About 1% of the population will develop celiac disease after eating gluten foods. There are now tests for gluten allergy that can help identify the cause of the allergy.

People with gluten allergies should avoid wheat products

What is gluten? Add water to flour, knead it into a dough, then rinse it under tap water to wash away the starch and fiber, and the remaining protein mixture is called "gluten". Dr. Wu Zhenghan, an allergist at Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, pointed out that the cause of gluten allergy is the immune response of the human intestine to the gluten in wheat. In addition to avoiding wheat products, patients must also avoid eating barley, oats, and rye, which will also worsen the disease.

Dr. Wu Zhenghan said that during his trip to the UK, his wife told him many times that eating bread and pizza caused gastrointestinal discomfort. These situations did not occur in China, and it might be caused by consuming a large amount of wheat products in a short period of time.

Gluten allergy is a big problem abroad because foreigners eat a lot of wheat and it is difficult for them not to eat it. In China, because rice is the staple food, gluten allergy may be ignored, but it does not mean that Chinese people do not have such a problem. In addition to diet, gluten allergy is also related to genes. In foreign countries, one out of every 100 people is allergic to gluten. Although there has been no formal statistics in China, 6 to 8 out of every 1,000 people may have such genes.

If you like to eat wheat products such as bread and noodles, or often eat wheat such as barley and oats, and you have diarrhea and can't find the cause, you may want to pay attention to the possibility that it is caused by gluten allergy.

Gluten allergy symptoms vary and can be treated

Symptoms of gluten allergy vary widely and may include indigestion, diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, weight loss, joint or bone pain, fatigue, anemia and other clinical symptoms, and even infertility problems.

Dr. Wu Zhenghan said that as long as the cause can be found, gluten allergy can be treated. By changing eating habits, symptoms that have been unable to be resolved can be improved. Nowadays, there is also a common "gluten-free diet", which is designed specifically for patients with gluten allergies.

【Health Tips】:

A "gluten-free diet" means that foods that do not contain gluten, such as pasta, pizza, beer, some oats, cheese, sandwiches, and even refined foods such as sauces, cakes, bread, biscuits and cakes, are replaced by a diet based on potatoes, corn, vegetables, meat, beans, nuts, dairy products, eggs, seafood, rice, etc.

People should see a professional doctor and get checked to see if they have gluten allergy, and then consider adjusting their diet. If they need to adopt this diet, it is recommended to consult a doctor or professional nutritionist to avoid nutritional imbalance problems. Generally, people who do not have a gluten allergy do not need to follow a gluten-free diet.